Publication Date: August 5, 2025
Only trouble can bring about the beauty of redemption and grace.
In the small town of Grady, Montana, twenty-four-year-old Tad Bungley has a reputation for trouble. When he lands a job at Come Around Ranch, however, his life seems to take a positive turn. As he develops a soft spot for Sam, the ranch owner’s disabled son, and a special bond with TJ, a rescue horse with a poor reputation of his own, Tad becomes determined not to bungle it up this time.
Forty-eight-year-old Anita Wilson is too young to feel so old, but rheumatoid arthritis limits her ability to work on the guest ranch she owns with her husband. It was a risk to hire Tad for the summer, but Anita is convinced he just needs a bit of encouragement to find his footing. What she doesn’t anticipate is that Tad’s presence at the ranch will change everything, including her relationship with her son. And when Tad finds himself in more of a mess than ever, he and Anita must learn when to hold on, when to let go, and what grace really means.
For fans of Fredrik Backman, small-town stories, middle-age characters, redemption arcs, and second chances, a clean, gently humorous contemporary novel by Katie Powner set near the mountains of rural Montana.
A young man fresh out of second chances finds solace working on a local ranch as he learns about grace from the Christian owners.
Author Katie Powner delivers a tender story full of compelling characters in When the Road Comes Around. At the center are ranch owners Anita and Dan. Strong in their faith, they take all of life’s challenges in stride, even a chronic health condition.
At 24, Tad has made plenty of mistakes. Anita advocates for him, though, and he gets along well with Sam, her disabled son. When little Charlie comes into the picture, Anita gets an opportunity she never expected.
As the storyline develops, numerous situations emerge, highlighting opportunities for grace, setting the stage for Tad to learn important life lessons.
When the Road Comes Around offers a poignant story about second chances.
Katie Powner is a Christy Award-winning author who lives in rural Montana, where cows still outnumber people. She writes contemporary fiction about redemption, relationships, and finding the dirt road home. She’s a mom to the third power (biological, adoptive, and foster) who loves red shoes, Jesus, and candy—not necessarily in that order.
